Brachyplatystoma tigrinum, the zebra shovelnose, or tigerstriped catfish, is a large species of catfish of the family Pimelodidae that is native to the Amazon basin in Brazil, Colombia and Peru.[1][2] It is entirely piscivorous.[2][3]
| Brachyplatystoma tigrinum | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Siluriformes |
| Family: | Pimelodidae |
| Genus: | Brachyplatystoma |
| Species: | B. tigrinum |
| Binomial name | |
| Brachyplatystoma tigrinum (Britski, 1981) | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Distribution and habitat
B. tigrinum is found in the upper Amazon basin, with records from the western Amazon, Caquetá, Madeira, Marañon, Putumayo and Ucayali systems.[3][4] Adults mostly inhabit fast-flowing sections of whitewater rivers, but can also occur in clearwater rivers.[3][4]
Description
Although a typically reported maximum size is 60 cm (24 in), a study in Peru found many that were larger, with the largest individual being 85 cm (33 in) long and 5.2 kg (11 lb) in weight.[4] The head is elongate and compressed, and the tail has long filaments.[2] The base colour of the body is yellow to almost white and it has distinct dark stripes.[5] It is sometimes confused with B. juruense.[2]